Many different types of machines have been invented to enable a user to exercise in an efficient and effective manner. Of these, most are designed for use in a relatively small space by a user who is in a sitting or supine position.
One of the most common exercise machines is an exercycle. In this type of device, a person sits on a padded seat and uses his or her legs to rotate a pedal crank assembly. This will normally cause a chain-attached flywheel to also rotate. In most machines of this type, a manually-adjustable resistance is operatively connected to the flywheel so that a user can vary the degree of difficulty required to move the pedals.
Another common type of exercise machine is a combination unit that includes a plurality of exercise stations and/or is reconfigurable so that the apparatus may be used to exercise different sets of a user's muscles. However, combination units are not designed to allow a user who is in a standing position to comfortably exercise a full range of upper and lower body muscles.
One prior art device that should be noted is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,820,372 issued to Blomquist in 1931. In the described device, a user stands on an inclined machine that includes upper and lower cranksets that are operatively interconnected. When a user rotates the upper crankset via the attached handles, the lower crankset and its attached pedals are caused to rotate and vice-versa. This device does not include two separate rotatable assemblies that would allow a user to independently operate and adjust the different portions of the machine to accommodate his or her needs or comfort.